Bob Dylan – Bootleg Series Vol. 14: More Blood, More Tracks (2 Nov 2018)*

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Dave Gilmour's Cat, Nov 2, 2016.

  1. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident

    Why do I think a small legacy series collection?
    Look at how neat and compact The 1966 Live Recordings was.
    Newsprint and photo on the outer box conveying the controversy and history of what's inside.
    Small box, annotated CD sleeves, neat tidy and straight to the point.
     
  2. Adam Ryan Watson.

    Adam Ryan Watson. Well-Known Member

    I've been very curious about the 1987 tour I tired listening to a couple of shows but the bootlegs were a rough listen. Are they're any shows from that tour that would be considered great shows or at least standout shows for that tour you could recommend . The little I have listened to of that tour dylan seemed seriously out of sync with the rest of the group and he was rushing through the cues and chord changes.
     
  3. Tribute

    Tribute Senior Member

    if there is ever a time that Dylan appears out-of-synch with his back-up band, it is the band that is "out-of-synch". As you may know, Dylan's musicians have always spoken about how Dylan leads and their job is to follow and accompany.
     
  4. subtr

    subtr Forum Resident

    I'll have a look at the few notes I made and get back to you. The problem with this tour is that - as I remember the shows - there could be a run of five or six solid songs, then from no where comes an absolute dearth of energy. Or, in another case, Joey, which was insanely energetic but very monotonous in delivery. Kind of a prelude to the upsinging method of the early 2000s.
     
  5. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident

    The collaboration with the Heartbreakers in 1986 and 1987 never worked for me. It was Dylan, not the Heartbreakers who was forgetting lyrics, rushing through verses or dropping them entirely, and always out of sync and at odds with the backing. I saw a lot of the 1986 tour up close, but not the 1987 tour and yet I prefer the 1987. Dylan's sets were shorter, lasting under 80 minutes in total most of the time, and he seemed to have pulled it together more often than not. The audiences were not as divided.
     
    subtr likes this.
  6. PhilBorder

    PhilBorder Senior Member

    Location:
    Sheboygan, WI
    Agree. The show I saw seemed to bring out the worst in everyone. The whole thing seemed pointless.
     
    Richard--W likes this.
  7. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident

    They were the biggest attraction in the concert business that year and a huge financial hit. The Heartbreakers were on the verge of breaking up, although by my observation, Dylan tuned up and inspired them again. As a live support they can't be faulted. Their symbiosis with Petty was better than ever. But that tune up and inspiration didn't extend to Dylan himself because he wasn't in sync. It was strange watching Dylan work so hard up there on stage and yet nothing he did seemed genuine. Others will disagree
     
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2018
  8. Heart of Gold

    Heart of Gold Forum Resident

    Location:
    Turin,Italy
    Like A Rolling Stone with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers is the last beautiful version of this Dylan 's song. So for a few of other songs. These tours close the 'classic " era of Bob Dylan. Afterwards, a new age starts for Dylan, but that is a different story.
     
  9. windfall

    windfall Senior Member

    Location:
    UK
    Anyone who thinks there was something wrong with the Dylan/Heartbreakers collaboration should take an hour out to watch this and then report back.



    Personally I think they were more "on it" in 86. I heard a lot of the tapes of the European tour back in the day and saw them at Wembley. We got a good show but there were some stinkers on that leg, with Dylan sometimes doing just over an hour. I think he was in a particularly bad way (drink?) for much of that tour.

    The best thing to come out of it might have been the birthday party for Petty backstage at Wembley, George Harrison and Jeff Lynne turning up, and the seeds being sown for the Wilburys which in some ways revitalised both Dylan and Petty, I think.
     
    Scott6 and matt79rome89 like this.
  10. Waymore Lonesome

    Waymore Lonesome Forum Resident

    1987 was the real beginning of the never ending tour, something obviously happened between the orderly and professional 1986 tour and the next, Bob's fashion choices were as interesting and varied as the setlists. As soon as that tour was over he got GE Smith in a studio and started on rehearsing for the next tour.
     
    Sean likes this.
  11. subtr

    subtr Forum Resident

    I wrote some where in this thread that I basically agree with this. 1986 has better highs, but worse lows, than 1987. '87 is pretty consistent, but the general level of that consistency isn't too high (IMO). I definitely remember listening to one show from '86 and thinking that this is how I'd sing if I were drunk and trying to be Bob Dylan - so maybe drink did play a part in a few of those performances!
     
    windfall likes this.
  12. streetlegal

    streetlegal Forum Resident

    From what I heard of the Hearbreakers tours, the '86 concerts are worthy, solid I suppose, but Dylan is not exactly expanding his horizons, not particularly inspired. I do dig "Just Like a Woman" from the Hard to Handle video, though.

    It's a shame. I think the Heartbreakers had an amazing sound--warm, rich, textured--but Dylan was not particularly grounded at this time (nor on several other tours post 1984). I think the full sound of the Hearbreakers as a backing band comes closest to the big 1978 sound, but the difference was Dylan was on target in the previous tour.

    The '87 tour is more adventurous and more interesting in terms of set lists and performance, but it is also pretty sloppy on Dylan's part. I quite like the sonic texture of Dylan's voice--it's kind of mellifluous and fluid--but it is erratic and (given the forgotten lyrics) lacks focus.

    I have a soft spot for '87. I really like the loose reggae-type feel of much of the Temples in Flames. It makes for a fun listen. Some of the arrangements--the slow-build "Slow Train," the reggafied "I and I," the piano "Lonesome Death of Hattie Carol"--are great. But it is certainly frustrating too.
     
    windfall likes this.
  13. windfall

    windfall Senior Member

    Location:
    UK
    At the time (1986), Petty was my no 1 all time artist and Dylan was my no 2. So it was a match made in heaven for me. I agree 100% about the Heartbreakers sound. When I saw them at Wembley, I felt Petty was the highlight in retrospect. Although almost on a par was the set of Byrds songs Petty and the Heartbreakers played with McGuinn. Transcendent.

    Also have a very vivid memory of Dylan breaking out Tomorrow is a Long Time, pretty much just him and Benmont. Really beautiful in spite of the ragged vocal.
     
    Sean and streetlegal like this.
  14. windfall

    windfall Senior Member

    Location:
    UK
  15. The Reasoner

    The Reasoner Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut, USA
    I've only read the last couple pages of the thread, so I'll just ask:

    Any strong whispers or solid speculation about BS14? Or are we just on the default position of "it's probably Blood on the Tracks"?
     
    FriendlyAlien likes this.
  16. Dave Gilmour's Cat

    Dave Gilmour's Cat Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Clinton Heylin said BOTT was on the shelf and ready to go. But a Rolling Stone article (see below) indicated there would be a Rolling Thunder film released in 2018 and that the next set might cover that.

    Just hope they don’t wrap up the two together instead of giving each the space they deserve.

    What's Next for Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series?

    Beyond the Rolling Thunder documentary and accompanying box set, future chapters of the Bootleg Series might chronicle Dylan's 1993 acoustic shows at New York's Supper Club (which were professionally filmed) and some sort of examination of the Never Ending Tour. The latter is a particularly challenging project since it involves over 2,800 concerts between 1988 and the present day. Dylan's road crew has been recording shows dating back to the beginning of the Never Ending Tour, but the quality of them up until the mid-2000's is less than stellar.”
     
    The Reasoner likes this.
  17. Beaneydave

    Beaneydave Forum Resident

    I think Heylin’s next book is about BOTT’s so........




    peace and love✌Dave
     
  18. subtr

    subtr Forum Resident

    I can't really recommend it, but there's a great musical save performed on Gotta Serve Somebody from Helsinki (1987-09-23). Bob mangles all lyrics but then the band go into a great minor riff similar to the 2003 arrangement of It's Alright, Ma for the outro, that is quite enjoyable. Also a passionate version of Desolation Row, but not with out some big flubs. So far, the whole thing seems to be a chore for Dylan, and he certainly has a great (read: bad) way of delivering Joey every time it comes around.
     
  19. The Reasoner

    The Reasoner Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut, USA
    Very interesting, thank you.
     
  20. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident

    I'm sure there'll be another Bootleg Series entry and more archival releases after, but I don't believe Dylan will ever record an album of new songs again. If he felt strongly enough to write new songs or if he felt he had anything to say he'd have done it by now.

    He's busy being doing all these other things. Making booze, sculpting, drawing, painting. His music is limited to covering other people's songs that he likes and rearranging his old songs. Plowing old ground. At his age he can hardly be criticized for that.
     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2018
  21. LonesomeDayBlues

    LonesomeDayBlues Forum Resident

    Location:
    Long Beach, CA
    I still think he has a couple more albums of originals in him.
     
    Sean and Scott6 like this.
  22. The following was posted on the Expecting Rain forum:

    According to a Dylan insider who attended an event I was at in Tulsa this weekend, November will bring the Scorcese doc on Rolling Thunder and a new BS installment with BOT and RT material. He said it in a basically public setting so I'm sharing it here.

    Expecting Rain • View topic - Exciting new stuff in November
     
  23. Dave Gilmour's Cat

    Dave Gilmour's Cat Forum Resident Thread Starter

    It would be such a mistake to combine these two distinct eras. I really hope they don’t!
     
  24. shadow blaster

    shadow blaster Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scandinavia
    Interesting. I assume that if such a set happens, we also get Desire sessions material. It would be odd if we get BOTT studio sessions and RTR live only.
    However, I really wonder how big a set this is going to be? Because in my book we have 4 different sections of material, all worthy of a full archival excavation: BOTT sessions, Desire sessions, RTR 75 and RTR 76. Will all of these be covered and how? Nagging questions.
     
  25. rogermcnally

    rogermcnally Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
    This year I'm hoping for the RTR documentary and a legacy set of the same. They would go very well together.

    I feel very lucky to have what we've been given already.
    For me The Basement set, Cutting Edge and the 1966 box were the Holy Grail releases. Loved the boots and love the official releases even more.

    TTS and SP were great surprises. I still play Girl From The Red River Shore and shake my head at the wonder of it.
     
    Sean, Jimmy B., IronWaffle and 2 others like this.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine